The Steelers vs. the Buccaneers. Two teams that have won their first 2 games. The Steelers have relied on defense to win their first two games and got an assist from the Special Teams and Antonio Brown in game 2. The Buccaneers have relied on a young team to get to 2-0. Last week their defense came up with 3 turnovers and 4 sacks to outlast the Carolina Panthers and their second year quarterback has played up to the team’s expectations.
5. Steelers vs. the Tampa Bay heat, not the Miami Heat, the Tampa Bay Heat
In week 2 the Steelers needed all the linemen they could muster to fend of the Tennessee heat. They shuttled them in and out the whole game. They had to released Byron Leftwich for a game in order to sign an additional lineman in Steve McClendon, who recovered a fumble when he was in. That was worth one week’s pay. With the aging Steelers defensive line they’ll need to do more of the same to keep the Offensive and Defensive Line fresh the whole game. It did not help that Trai Essex is out this week. Get the Gatorade and Ivs ready.
4. Keep Josh Freeman in check
The Bucs 2nd year quarterback is Josh Freeman, out of the hotbed of quarterbacks, Kansas State. Is he a future star or just another in a long line of wannabe quarterbacks for the Bucs, sorry Byron. He is 6-6, strong armed and hard to bring down guy that has had a knack for escaping some tackles in the backfield. Sound like someone the Steelers are familiar with in (and out) of their lineup. Like Ben(gave it away didn’t I) Freeman needs to be contained in the pocket. If he’s able to escape the pass rush by shuffling to his right or left a few steps he could be able to find another youngster Mike Williams streaking down the field. So, James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley need to wrap him up if they get their hands on him. He may be 2-0 this year, but he hasn’t met up with the Steelers Defense yet. 1st and 2nd year guys don’t typically perform too well against Dick Lebeau’s defense. It’s hard to throw a pass while lying on your back.
3. Charlie Batch needs to be productive
The Steelers are down to the last option that they had planned to use going into the season, Charlie Batch. Luckily, Batch is an experienced NFL quarterback. He is talented, and has proven he can win games. The only thing that has hurt his chances of starting is his inability to stay healthy when he gets a chance, broken collarbone last time when Ben wrecked his motorcycle. So, this is Charlie’s chance to stay healthy and prove he can run this offense. He doesn’t need to throw for 400 yards and 5 touchdowns, he just needs to hit some key passes here and there and get a touchdown or 2, and avoid the interceptions. He is more than capable of doing that.
2. Rashard Mendenhall
Do you think the Steelers gameplan for today includes Rashard Mendenhall and smashmouth running. I do. Charlie needs to be effective but Rashard needs to move the chains consistently. The Buccaneers will most likely try to make Batch win the game by stacking the line. The good thing is stopping the run is not their strength. Mendenhall will get his carries today and he needs to continue to get the tough yards.
1. Defense, Defense, Defense
Until Ben returns, it is going to be up to the defense to keep the team in the game. They appear to know that and seem to have taken it upon themselves to do just that. LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison have easily become the top outside linebacker combination in the league and Lawrence Timmons has become a linebacker on a mission this year. He is making all the tackles he’s supposed to make and making plays nobody expected him to make. Chris Johnson appeared stunned several times when Timmons came out of nowhere to put a hit on him. The secondary was much better last week until they went into the prevent defense. They made the big play on Nate Washington in the end zone when they needed it. Troy is Troy, ‘nuff said.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Another great victory for the Steelers on the Titans home Turf
The Pittsburgh Sports Buzz tonight revolves around the happenings in Tennessee. The game got off to an unusual start for the Steelers. Something happened that Steelers fans have not been accustomed to, a kickoff return for a touchdown. Mewelde Moore received the kickoff and Antonion Brown doubled back to receive a handoff. Brown ran around the kick coverage team and burnt past the last line of uh-defense, the kicker, and it was off to the races. We’ll even forgive the little showboating, while crossing the goal line. The last Steeler to attempt that was Anthony Smith and he received a severe tongue lashing from Dick Lebeau afterwards. Something tells me Hines Ward might have a word of advice for Mr. Brown. That return turned out to be the only TD for the Steelers, but not the only score.
In the pregame article, “5 things the Steelers must do to beat the Titans”, the Steelers succeeded in holding Chris Brown under 100 yards, way under. Early in the game Brown looked as if he would continue his string of 100 yard games, picking up several yards each play. But, the Steeler defense had other ideas. On several occasions during the game Brown was met with force. On one attempt Brown attempted to cut back only to hit the brick wall also known as James Harrison. He was hit hard time after time and the camera caught him a couple times trying to shake free the cobwebs. It would not be a surprise if we find out that he suffered a concussion during the game.
Another key to the game was to keep Vince Young in the pocket. This turned out to be prophetic, for Vince did remain in the pocket most of the day and was unsuccessful in providing any spark for the Titans. The one drive that looked as if it would lead to a score, Troy Polamalu intercepted a Young pass in the end zone. Throw in another Young interception by LaMarr Woodley and some fumbles and Young was replaced early in the 4th quarter in favor of Kerry Collins. Collins made his share of mistakes with a Bryant McFadden interception and a forced fumble but at the end all he did was make the last few minutes interesting, but he was not the difference.
The third key to the game was the Steelers backups must step up. Looks like defense didn’t miss a beat with Chris Hoke starting in the middle. Larry Foote stepped in for James Farrior after he was shaken up. Jonathan Scott did not provide the protection of Max Starks, which led to the Steelers relying on the running game and Rashard Mendenhall for much of the second half. This might have annoyed the Steeler faithful, but getting your last quarterback injured would not have been a good idea. The Titans offense wasn’t moving the ball against the Steelers defense, so why not run the ball and the clock. Not to mention the Titans were very generous today, and could not resist giving the ball back to the Steelers.
Key number 4 was consistency from Rashard Mendenhall. Mendenhall did not have that 50 yard run today, but he did have one 20 yarder and he was held to 69 yards on 23 carries. Once again, the defense expected the run with Dennis Dixon at QB. The Titans stacked the line and really 69 yards was not bad under the circumstances. The Steelers barely threw in the second half, preferring to hand off to Mendenhall to eat up the clock.
Key number 5 was the continued development of Dennis Dixon. This went out the door early in the second quarter when Dixon injured a knee on a rollout to the left. Charlie Batch came in to replace him and did a great job of handing off to Rashard.
In the pregame article, “5 things the Steelers must do to beat the Titans”, the Steelers succeeded in holding Chris Brown under 100 yards, way under. Early in the game Brown looked as if he would continue his string of 100 yard games, picking up several yards each play. But, the Steeler defense had other ideas. On several occasions during the game Brown was met with force. On one attempt Brown attempted to cut back only to hit the brick wall also known as James Harrison. He was hit hard time after time and the camera caught him a couple times trying to shake free the cobwebs. It would not be a surprise if we find out that he suffered a concussion during the game.
Another key to the game was to keep Vince Young in the pocket. This turned out to be prophetic, for Vince did remain in the pocket most of the day and was unsuccessful in providing any spark for the Titans. The one drive that looked as if it would lead to a score, Troy Polamalu intercepted a Young pass in the end zone. Throw in another Young interception by LaMarr Woodley and some fumbles and Young was replaced early in the 4th quarter in favor of Kerry Collins. Collins made his share of mistakes with a Bryant McFadden interception and a forced fumble but at the end all he did was make the last few minutes interesting, but he was not the difference.
The third key to the game was the Steelers backups must step up. Looks like defense didn’t miss a beat with Chris Hoke starting in the middle. Larry Foote stepped in for James Farrior after he was shaken up. Jonathan Scott did not provide the protection of Max Starks, which led to the Steelers relying on the running game and Rashard Mendenhall for much of the second half. This might have annoyed the Steeler faithful, but getting your last quarterback injured would not have been a good idea. The Titans offense wasn’t moving the ball against the Steelers defense, so why not run the ball and the clock. Not to mention the Titans were very generous today, and could not resist giving the ball back to the Steelers.
Key number 4 was consistency from Rashard Mendenhall. Mendenhall did not have that 50 yard run today, but he did have one 20 yarder and he was held to 69 yards on 23 carries. Once again, the defense expected the run with Dennis Dixon at QB. The Titans stacked the line and really 69 yards was not bad under the circumstances. The Steelers barely threw in the second half, preferring to hand off to Mendenhall to eat up the clock.
Key number 5 was the continued development of Dennis Dixon. This went out the door early in the second quarter when Dixon injured a knee on a rollout to the left. Charlie Batch came in to replace him and did a great job of handing off to Rashard.
Friday, September 17, 2010
5 Things the Steelers must do to beat the Titans
The Steelers made it through week 1 in the 2010 season with a win and are now
1-0. But now they must travel to Tennesse to take on the Titans, a team that is
always a challenge for the Steelers. Here are 5 things they must do to remain
unbeaten.
1-0. But now they must travel to Tennesse to take on the Titans, a team that is
always a challenge for the Steelers. Here are 5 things they must do to remain
unbeaten.
5. Continued improvement by Dennis Dixon
Dixon made his second start in the NFL against Atlanta and his inexperience showed. He threw one interception and nearly threw a couple others. Fortunately the Falcon defense couldn't make the plays. Dixon did have his good moments too. He threw a perfect pass to Mike Wallace for a long completion, not an easy thing to do since Wallace can outrun most throws. Dixon was known as an accurate passer in college and hit 18 of 26 passes in this game. He should continue to improve with additional time with the first team offense allowing him to get in sync with his receivers more. Look for the Titans to stack the line until DD proves he can beat them with his passing. He must play better in this game to beat the Titans in their home.
4. More consistent play from Rashard Mendenhall
Because the Falcons did not believe that Dennis Dixon could beat them with his arm, they stacked the line and challenged him to do it. Because of this Mendenhall was tackled for losses several times. Maybe this will be the season Mendenhall becomes the runner they thought he would be when they drafted him, but he must avoid all those negative yardage plays. If he did not have the game winner against Atlanta, most would have probably considered that an average to below average performance for him. Mendenhall needs to turn some of those
negative yardage plays into gains for the Steelers to be on the winning side at the end of this game.
3. Backups will have to step up
Max Starks left the Atlanta game with what most thought was a high ankle sprain. This is an injury that most players and fans have come to realize can cost the player several games while trying to heal. Casey Hampton also left the game with a hamstring injury. If that is not given proper time to heal hamstring injuries will come back throughout the season. Behind these 2 players on the depth chart are Chris Hoke for Hampton and Jonathan Scott for Starks.
These two have to step up and provide quality play for the Steelers to win. Hoke must plug the hole and keep the rushing defense from giving up big plays by Chris Johnson. Scott must keep the Titans defense from attacking Dixon, something he didn't do well against the Falcons. If he is not able to do what is needed there may be some major shifting of the offensive line going on. The prognosis is good for Starks though since it was just a normal ankle sprain and not the dreaded high ankle sprain. He may be back by the next game. Hampton will be week to week. Backups, in general, need to step up for the Steelers to continue winning.
2. Keep Vince Young in the pocket
Vince Young is not the most accurate passer in the league. His feet and his running back are his weapons. The Steelers must keep him in the pocket and keep him from improvising to win this game. The more he throws the better the chances the Steelers have.
1. Hold Chris Johnson under 100 yards
It is no secret in the NFL that Chris Johnson is probably the elite running back in the league. If there's any doubt just remember the 2,000 yard club. He is one of the few members of this club. Also, remember if you're a member of this club your career is not long after this accomplishment. So, it is also no secret to Titans opponents what their game plan is, run, run, run. If the Steelers can stop Chris Johnson their chances to win this game are very good. The good news is this is the strength of the Steelers. Look for Johnson to be around 75 yards by the end of the game.
Steelers Rule!!!!!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
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Tuesday, September 14, 2010
HOW MANY WINS
Stop by the site and cast your vote. I'm saying 10-11. Let me know how many you think. Leave a comment and tell me why if you get a chance.
WHO GETS THE CREDIT FOR THE ATLANTA GAME - The Answer
Who deserves the credit for the Atlanta Game? The answer is the Defense, with honorable mention going to Rashard Mendenhall.
The defense kept the team in the game the whole time holding the Atlanta Rushing game in check and keeping the pressure on Matt Ryan so he couldn't look too far downfield.
Top performers were Woodley, Harrison, and Timmons. It looked like Harrison might have ended it late in the game with the rumble for a touchdown off the fumble, remind you of another Harrison return, but it was called back. There are a lot of stars on this team, but Woodley and Harrison are important cogs in the machine.
1-o without Ben, 3 to go. Next up: at Tennessee
The defense kept the team in the game the whole time holding the Atlanta Rushing game in check and keeping the pressure on Matt Ryan so he couldn't look too far downfield.
Top performers were Woodley, Harrison, and Timmons. It looked like Harrison might have ended it late in the game with the rumble for a touchdown off the fumble, remind you of another Harrison return, but it was called back. There are a lot of stars on this team, but Woodley and Harrison are important cogs in the machine.
1-o without Ben, 3 to go. Next up: at Tennessee
WHO GETS CREDIT FOR THE ATLANTA GAME - Coaches?
The team seemed well prepared for this game. There were no major blunders for the first game of the season and the minor problems should be ironed in practice in the next week or so. Tomlin seemingly made the right choice in going with Dixon over Batch. The new special teams coach Al Everest hopefully has them performing consistently, we'll see when the Browns come to town. I think everyone knows why. Dixon seemed to be prepared. I think some of those near interceptions he threw were caused by first start jitters and a few starts will clear those up. The coaches also did a good job of realizing the out patterns weren't working and changing Dixon's target area more to the area between the hash marks.
It was a good start for coaches. There are some challenges coming up with the possibility of injuries to Max Starks and Casey Hampton. Coaching will need to step up along with the replacements.
It was a good start for coaches. There are some challenges coming up with the possibility of injuries to Max Starks and Casey Hampton. Coaching will need to step up along with the replacements.
WHO GETS CREDIT FOR ATLANTA GAME - SPECIAL TEAMS?
If that special teams played like that every week I would take it. Jeff Reed made 3 of 5 on the day, unfortuneatly missing the probable game winning field goal at the end of regulation. He's normally money in that situation, but every kicker has a bad day, right Mr. Norwood. This bad day extended the game but didn't cost the Steelers, thankfully. The other one he missed was a 55 yarder, which would have been a career best. So, it would have been a bonus for him to make it but the odds were not in his favor. By the way, do you think Jeff might have been trying a little harder on kickoffs, or possible the wind was just blowing that way, but he had a touchback which is rare for him.
Daniel Sepulveda was outstanding in this game. I doubt he'll average 50 yards per punt, but if he can he will be a real weapon in the battle for field position. He got them out of some jams in this game, one with a 55 yarder.
The returners didn't get much of a chance with a couple touchbacks and fair catches. Randle El held onto one that was timed perfectly by the defender and was hit hard immediately and managed to stay out of the way of another one at mid field when Ryan Mundy was blocked into him.
Daniel Sepulveda was outstanding in this game. I doubt he'll average 50 yards per punt, but if he can he will be a real weapon in the battle for field position. He got them out of some jams in this game, one with a 55 yarder.
The returners didn't get much of a chance with a couple touchbacks and fair catches. Randle El held onto one that was timed perfectly by the defender and was hit hard immediately and managed to stay out of the way of another one at mid field when Ryan Mundy was blocked into him.
WHO GETS CREDIT FOR ATLANTA GAME - DEFENSE?
Should the defense get credit for the Atlanta game?
Defensive Line
The defensive line played extremely well in this game. Even missing their anchor, Casey Hampton for part of the game they held Atlanta to 58 yards rushing on 25 carries. Is Chris Hoke one of the most valuable guys on this team, or what? But, that is the great thing about the Steelers and one of the things that won them their last Super Bowl. Someone went down, another guy stepped in and there was little to no drop off in performance. The linemen also put some pressure on Ryan. Overall, they did the main thing they are supposed to do in Dick Lebow's defense, stop the run.
Linebackers
These guys were trying to get to the quarterback the whole game. I have a Madden game on Wii and of course I love to play the Steelers against all takers. I'm no defensive genius, but I know what to do with the Steelers, because in this game they don't lose any steam throughout the game. All I do is blitz every play, cornerback blitz, Townshend blitz, Polamalu blitz, zone blitz and so forth. That's what it looked like they were doing for a large part of the game. They brought the heat with the linebackers. Ryan's shoulder had to be sore after that game because Harrison was tomahawking him every chance he got to knock the ball loose. Both he and Woodley each had a sack. It looks like Timmons may finally be getting the hang of the defense too. He was all over the place making tackles and blowing up plays in the backfield with 9 solo tackles 3 of them for losses. These guys also played outstanding.
Defensive Backs
The defensive backs also played well. Another component of the Dick Lebeau defense is to not give up any big plays. They pretty much picked on Bryant McFadden the whole afternoon. Roddy White just kept catching those 10 to 20 yard passes and ended up with 111 yards. Tony Gonzalez also made a few grabs, but once they caught the ball there were no mistackles or they went out of bounds. No big plays given up. Hopefully McFadden will tighten up his coverage a little and not allow another receiver to get 100 yards, but the plan worked well enough on Sunday with no TDs for the Falcons.
Defensive Line
The defensive line played extremely well in this game. Even missing their anchor, Casey Hampton for part of the game they held Atlanta to 58 yards rushing on 25 carries. Is Chris Hoke one of the most valuable guys on this team, or what? But, that is the great thing about the Steelers and one of the things that won them their last Super Bowl. Someone went down, another guy stepped in and there was little to no drop off in performance. The linemen also put some pressure on Ryan. Overall, they did the main thing they are supposed to do in Dick Lebow's defense, stop the run.
Linebackers
These guys were trying to get to the quarterback the whole game. I have a Madden game on Wii and of course I love to play the Steelers against all takers. I'm no defensive genius, but I know what to do with the Steelers, because in this game they don't lose any steam throughout the game. All I do is blitz every play, cornerback blitz, Townshend blitz, Polamalu blitz, zone blitz and so forth. That's what it looked like they were doing for a large part of the game. They brought the heat with the linebackers. Ryan's shoulder had to be sore after that game because Harrison was tomahawking him every chance he got to knock the ball loose. Both he and Woodley each had a sack. It looks like Timmons may finally be getting the hang of the defense too. He was all over the place making tackles and blowing up plays in the backfield with 9 solo tackles 3 of them for losses. These guys also played outstanding.
Defensive Backs
The defensive backs also played well. Another component of the Dick Lebeau defense is to not give up any big plays. They pretty much picked on Bryant McFadden the whole afternoon. Roddy White just kept catching those 10 to 20 yard passes and ended up with 111 yards. Tony Gonzalez also made a few grabs, but once they caught the ball there were no mistackles or they went out of bounds. No big plays given up. Hopefully McFadden will tighten up his coverage a little and not allow another receiver to get 100 yards, but the plan worked well enough on Sunday with no TDs for the Falcons.
Monday, September 13, 2010
WHO GETS CREDIT FOR ATLANTA GAME - OFFENSE?
That was a great team win for the Steelers. The defense for the most part dominated, the offense provided just enough to get a win and the special teams prevented any long returns.
Offense
Quarterback
Dennis Dixon played ok on Sunday. He could have very easily had a very bad game, but it turned out to be a mediocre performance. He had several throws that could have been interceptions and one did, but it was not a deciding factor in the game. For one time the announcers on TV actually had an insightful point. When Dixon tried to throw out patterns he was nearly intercepted several times, I'm including the screen pass into the gut of the Defensive End. When he threw it between the hash marks that's when he had the most success.
Running Backs
Of course Rashard Mendenhall had a great game simply because he broke the last play of the game for a touchdown. Give a lot of credit to the O Line and Hines Ward for the blocks that sprung him for that TD. But he was the one in the end zone at the end of the play. Up to that point I kept saying to myself that he hadn't done anything. He kept getting stuffed in the backfield, then he'd break a 9 or 10 yarder. It was all or nothing.
Isaac Redman was ok also in his debut this year. He made a first down on a 3rd down attempt and also got stuffed on a third down attempt. The thing about him is he doesn't give up. On the 3rd down he didn't make he made about 5 guys tackle him. I can see why he could make a good short yardage back.
Receivers
The wide receiving corps was not spectacular, but they too did what needed to be done. Hines Ward continued to show why he is still one of the best receivers in the league. He had 108 yards on 6 receptions to lead the Steelers. Heath Miller also chipped in another 4 for 40 yards. Mike Wallace had a big grab for 52 yards also. The one sore spot for me with the receivers was the play of Antwaan Randle El. For some unknown reason Dixon kept trying to connect with him and Randle El kept running routes short of the first down and then dropping a lot of them. Dixon finally figured out who the future Hall of Famer was and that Randle El wasn't. It's only the first game and I wouldn't give up on him yet, but Antwaan has to play better than that.
Offensive Line
The line also played ok. None of them stood out until that last play of the game. In that one play they made up for any mediocre play throughout the game. Dixon wasn't able to sit back in the pocket unharrassed, but he did have time most of the game to read the defense and get off a good throw. The run blocking was good here and good there but not consistently good.
Offense
Quarterback
Dennis Dixon played ok on Sunday. He could have very easily had a very bad game, but it turned out to be a mediocre performance. He had several throws that could have been interceptions and one did, but it was not a deciding factor in the game. For one time the announcers on TV actually had an insightful point. When Dixon tried to throw out patterns he was nearly intercepted several times, I'm including the screen pass into the gut of the Defensive End. When he threw it between the hash marks that's when he had the most success.
Running Backs
Of course Rashard Mendenhall had a great game simply because he broke the last play of the game for a touchdown. Give a lot of credit to the O Line and Hines Ward for the blocks that sprung him for that TD. But he was the one in the end zone at the end of the play. Up to that point I kept saying to myself that he hadn't done anything. He kept getting stuffed in the backfield, then he'd break a 9 or 10 yarder. It was all or nothing.
Isaac Redman was ok also in his debut this year. He made a first down on a 3rd down attempt and also got stuffed on a third down attempt. The thing about him is he doesn't give up. On the 3rd down he didn't make he made about 5 guys tackle him. I can see why he could make a good short yardage back.
Receivers
The wide receiving corps was not spectacular, but they too did what needed to be done. Hines Ward continued to show why he is still one of the best receivers in the league. He had 108 yards on 6 receptions to lead the Steelers. Heath Miller also chipped in another 4 for 40 yards. Mike Wallace had a big grab for 52 yards also. The one sore spot for me with the receivers was the play of Antwaan Randle El. For some unknown reason Dixon kept trying to connect with him and Randle El kept running routes short of the first down and then dropping a lot of them. Dixon finally figured out who the future Hall of Famer was and that Randle El wasn't. It's only the first game and I wouldn't give up on him yet, but Antwaan has to play better than that.
Offensive Line
The line also played ok. None of them stood out until that last play of the game. In that one play they made up for any mediocre play throughout the game. Dixon wasn't able to sit back in the pocket unharrassed, but he did have time most of the game to read the defense and get off a good throw. The run blocking was good here and good there but not consistently good.
1
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
JOB INSECURITY
If you think NFL players have the life, think again. That is at least think about those guys on the practice squad. Yesterday, Doug Worthington was released from the practice squad shortly after being signed to the practice squad. The Steelers then signed another D lineman, Al Woods, formerly a 4th round pick of the New Orleans Saints in the 2010 draft.
Easy come easy go for practice squad players. Stay close to the phone Doug, once they have him in the fold and get a look at him they may dump him and resign you.
Easy come easy go for practice squad players. Stay close to the phone Doug, once they have him in the fold and get a look at him they may dump him and resign you.
James McDonald or Ross Ohlendorf
Remember a year ago around this time. There was a first year Pirates pitcher showing off his stuff interviewing to be one of the cornerstone pitchers of the Pirates staff. Pirates fans were thinking, finally we found at least one pitcher that would be able to provide some stability for this rag-tag staff. That was Ross Ohlendorf. He had a 3.92 era and was 11-10. Not the greatest stats in the world, even his post all star game stats of 4-3 were not very impressive, but the 2.83 era showed promise. It just seemed like he really went on a tear and everyone hoped he would continue that second half success this year. Once again, disappointment. Ohlendorf is sitting at 1-11 with a 4.07 era and done for the season. Still, if you're a Pirate fan and an optimist. That era is still close to respectable. The losses are not. Maybe, just maybe Andrew McCutcheon, Neil Walker, Garrett Jones, Jose Tabata and crew will keep improving and provide some needed offense next year and that e.r.a. will return to the 3.something.
This year's Ross Ohlendorf is James McDonald. An outcast from the Dodgers, picked up by the Pirates. He recently shut out the NL East leading Atlanta Braves and sent them to Second Place behind the Phils. He has shown flashes of being a very good pitcher. Maybe not dominant, but good enough to be a stabilizing force on the Pirates Roster. We'll see if his interview in the remaining games this season can win him a spot next year in the rotation. Hope springs eternal for Pirates fans.
If you're a dreamer, consider Maholm, McDonald, Morton, Ohlendorf and Brad Lincoln all catching fire and the pitching staff actually gives the offense a chance next year. Like, I said you have to be a dreamer. Despite those 18 losing seasons I do remember another group of pitchers finally living up to the hype in another era. Do the names Drabek, Smiley, Dunne ring a bell. Well, maybe not Dunne, but the other two. It could happen. I'd settle for 2 of the 5 actually winning 12 to 15 games and the others keeping them in the game. Wouldn't you?
This year's Ross Ohlendorf is James McDonald. An outcast from the Dodgers, picked up by the Pirates. He recently shut out the NL East leading Atlanta Braves and sent them to Second Place behind the Phils. He has shown flashes of being a very good pitcher. Maybe not dominant, but good enough to be a stabilizing force on the Pirates Roster. We'll see if his interview in the remaining games this season can win him a spot next year in the rotation. Hope springs eternal for Pirates fans.
If you're a dreamer, consider Maholm, McDonald, Morton, Ohlendorf and Brad Lincoln all catching fire and the pitching staff actually gives the offense a chance next year. Like, I said you have to be a dreamer. Despite those 18 losing seasons I do remember another group of pitchers finally living up to the hype in another era. Do the names Drabek, Smiley, Dunne ring a bell. Well, maybe not Dunne, but the other two. It could happen. I'd settle for 2 of the 5 actually winning 12 to 15 games and the others keeping them in the game. Wouldn't you?
Monday, September 6, 2010
FINAL CUTS
I was surprised by a few of the final cuts this year. Here are the cuts:
LB Patrick Bailey
CB Joe Burnett
S Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith
WR Tyler Grisham
DE Sunny Harris
C Justin Hartwig
KR Stefan Logan
DE Steve McClendon
FB Frank Summers
G Craig Urbik
DE Doug Worthington
Depending if you watched the game Thursday or not you might be surprised that Patrick Bailey was cut. He was the Steelers rookie of the year in 2008, but has mostly been a special teams performer since. Thursday he was all over the field making tackles and blowing up plays. Maybe they told him he was going to get cut so he went all out to look good for another team. He has made an impression in other preseason games too.
Unfortunately Justin Hartwig had to go. It would have been nice to have him as an insurance policy behind Pouncey or another line position.
Sunny Harris was on the list after being cut last year in a numbers game. He was impressive enough for them to sign him back from the Panthers practice squad after Aaron Smith went down. He has barely been heard from this preseason and thus a casualty.
Not a surprise
Joe Burnett, not shown anything as a Cornerback since being drafted last year.
Frank Summers, possible backup RB, and like fullback when needed also has done nothing to impress.
Stefan Logan, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders are able to return the ball and play Wide Receiver. Stefan was too small for a wideout. Too many players with positive upsides to keep a one dimensional player around.
Craig Urbik: Plain and simply a bust
LB Patrick Bailey
CB Joe Burnett
S Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith
WR Tyler Grisham
DE Sunny Harris
C Justin Hartwig
KR Stefan Logan
DE Steve McClendon
FB Frank Summers
G Craig Urbik
DE Doug Worthington
Depending if you watched the game Thursday or not you might be surprised that Patrick Bailey was cut. He was the Steelers rookie of the year in 2008, but has mostly been a special teams performer since. Thursday he was all over the field making tackles and blowing up plays. Maybe they told him he was going to get cut so he went all out to look good for another team. He has made an impression in other preseason games too.
Unfortunately Justin Hartwig had to go. It would have been nice to have him as an insurance policy behind Pouncey or another line position.
Sunny Harris was on the list after being cut last year in a numbers game. He was impressive enough for them to sign him back from the Panthers practice squad after Aaron Smith went down. He has barely been heard from this preseason and thus a casualty.
Not a surprise
Joe Burnett, not shown anything as a Cornerback since being drafted last year.
Frank Summers, possible backup RB, and like fullback when needed also has done nothing to impress.
Stefan Logan, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders are able to return the ball and play Wide Receiver. Stefan was too small for a wideout. Too many players with positive upsides to keep a one dimensional player around.
Craig Urbik: Plain and simply a bust
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Clean up
A few items to clean up that have been here entirely too long.
Poll questions
How many HRs will the legend hit?
Well the legend has not been as legendary as he was last year, but he has really performed as well as anyone this year less a few defensive issues. The year's not over but he's sitting at 20 right now and he'd have to go on a real tear to get to 30. We know from last year he's capable of putting up some high numbers but 10 in the rest of the season is unlikely. I've seen stories that management is cooling on considering him part of the future, but until another one of the 10 first basemen they have step up, he's the man. He's as good of a role model as you'll find in baseball too. Something the Pirates need to keep up relations with their fans. He's capable of hitting some long HRs too. The fans really like that.
Where will the Pirates finish this year?
That one could have been answered several months ago seeing as they're 12.5 games behind the Cubs right now, it can now be replaced with will they finish dead last in baseball. They actually have a pretty good lead in that category. They have 45 wins vs. Baltimore's 49. The prize for finishing last has been Rice University 3rd Baseman Anthony Rendon, but that is now a question mark because of a recent ankle injury. We'll see how that race shapes up in the final 28 games.
Link removed
I was just looking at the sports section for the Morgantown Dominion Post. It is pitiful. A couple of articles and none on the Mounaineers. I removed the link and added MSN Sportsnet. You'll find anything you need to know about the Mountaineers there.
New Posts
The few recent articles I've done have been on the Pirates, it's that time of year again: Football Season and time to switch focus to the Steelers. I'll put in my 2 cents on the quarterback situation. Ben's suspension has been reduced from 6 to 4 games. That's good news. I'm still not happy with how Ben behaved and will replace my license plate BEN XXXX as soon as it expires, but he appears to have done a good job of modifying his behavior. Hopefully Double D or CB can keep them at least .500 till he returns.
Poll questions
How many HRs will the legend hit?
Well the legend has not been as legendary as he was last year, but he has really performed as well as anyone this year less a few defensive issues. The year's not over but he's sitting at 20 right now and he'd have to go on a real tear to get to 30. We know from last year he's capable of putting up some high numbers but 10 in the rest of the season is unlikely. I've seen stories that management is cooling on considering him part of the future, but until another one of the 10 first basemen they have step up, he's the man. He's as good of a role model as you'll find in baseball too. Something the Pirates need to keep up relations with their fans. He's capable of hitting some long HRs too. The fans really like that.
Where will the Pirates finish this year?
That one could have been answered several months ago seeing as they're 12.5 games behind the Cubs right now, it can now be replaced with will they finish dead last in baseball. They actually have a pretty good lead in that category. They have 45 wins vs. Baltimore's 49. The prize for finishing last has been Rice University 3rd Baseman Anthony Rendon, but that is now a question mark because of a recent ankle injury. We'll see how that race shapes up in the final 28 games.
Link removed
I was just looking at the sports section for the Morgantown Dominion Post. It is pitiful. A couple of articles and none on the Mounaineers. I removed the link and added MSN Sportsnet. You'll find anything you need to know about the Mountaineers there.
New Posts
The few recent articles I've done have been on the Pirates, it's that time of year again: Football Season and time to switch focus to the Steelers. I'll put in my 2 cents on the quarterback situation. Ben's suspension has been reduced from 6 to 4 games. That's good news. I'm still not happy with how Ben behaved and will replace my license plate BEN XXXX as soon as it expires, but he appears to have done a good job of modifying his behavior. Hopefully Double D or CB can keep them at least .500 till he returns.
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